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After Strikeforce ended on Saturday, some were still left with the question, what’s next? Where do I go from here? For some, it was obvious they were getting absorbed by the top mma organization in the world. And for others, the future was still up in the air.
Top Strikeforce candidates Daniel Cormier and Gilbert Melendez were obvious choices and have already been given UFC fights scheduled for UFC on FOX 7. For others, they had to really earn their position for a chance in the UFC.
Former light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi will move over, as will former middleweight champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, plus recent middleweight title challenger Tim Kennedy who all came off wins at Strikeforc’e last event.
Roger Gracie, Pat Healy, Adriano Martins and Ryan Couture also will get their chance inside the octagon after wins on Saturday. Ryan Couture will make history as the first father-son combo in the UFC.
And despite losing this past Saturday, Kurt Holobaugh and K.J. Noons will also get their chance in the UFC.
Here is a list of the fighters that have made it to the UFC from Strikeforce:
~HEAVYWEIGHT~
Daniel Cormier (11-0 MMA, 8-0 SF)
~LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT~
Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 4-1-1 SF)
Gian Villante (10-3 MMA, 3-2 SF)
~MIDDLEWEIGHT~
Roger Gracie (6-1 MMA, 4-1 SF)
Tim Kennedy (15-4 MMA, 6-2 SF)
Lorenz Larkin (13-0 MMA, 4-0 SF)
Champ Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 9-0 SF)
Ronaldo Souza (17-3 MMA, 7-1 SF)
~WELTERWEIGHT~
Roger Bowling (11-3 MMA, 4-3 SF)
Jason High (16-3 MMA, 3-0 SF, 0-1 UFC)
Nate Marquardt (32-11-2 MMA, 1-1 SF, 10-4 UFC)
Champ Tarec Saffiedine (14-3 MMA, 6-1 SF)
Bobby Voelker (24-8 MMA, 4-1 SF)
~LIGHTWEIGHT~
Ryan Couture (6-1 MMA, 6-1 SF)
Pat Healy (29-16 MMA, 7-1 SF, 0-1 UFC)
Kurt Holobaugh (8-1 MMA, 0-1 SF)
Adriano Martins (24-6 MMA, 1-0 SF)
Champ Gilbert Melendez (21-2 MMA, 11-1 SF)
K.J. Noons (11-6 MMA, 3-4 SF)
Josh Thomson (19-5 MMA, 10-3 SF, 2-1 UFC)
Watch Strikeforce highlights in the video below.
Video courtesy of YouTube uploader tehbaus